India, France to launch TRISHNA satellite next year; PM Modi calls partnership a pillar of stability

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 18 (local time) said that the India-France partnership has emerged as a pillar of trust, stability and cooperation at a time when the world is facing uncertainty and disruption, while announcing that India and France will jointly launch the TRISHNA satellite next year to contribute to global food and water security.

Addressing the Indian community in Paris, PM Modi highlighted the growing strategic partnership between India and France and said the two countries are expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including defence, space, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and high-speed rail.

“Today, the world is going through a period of uncertainty and disruption. At such a time, the partnership between India and France is becoming a strong pillar of trust, stability, and cooperation. This year, we elevated the India-France relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi said.

Referring to his discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice, the Prime Minister said the two leaders had agreed to strengthen bilateral ties for the benefit of the international community.

“In Nice, my friend President Macron and I discussed making our relationship a force for global good. We will move forward together in every field, from defence to space and nuclear, from AI and critical minerals to high-speed railways,” he said.

Announcing a major upcoming space collaboration, PM Modi added, “Now, together, we are going to launch the Trishna satellite next year. This Trishna satellite will contribute to ensuring food and water security in the world.”

As per ISRO, the TRISHNA (Thermal InfraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment) mission is a joint Earth observation satellite project between India and France designed to monitor land and water resources through advanced thermal infrared imaging.

It is a mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French space agency CNES.

The satellite is expected to provide crucial data on agriculture, water management, climate monitoring and environmental sustainability, supporting efforts to strengthen food and water security worldwide.

PM Modi also said that India has witnessed transformative growth across sectors in the last 12 years, and beyond economic growth, the country’s journey is about empowering people and transforming lives.

Addressing members of the Indian diaspora here, PM Modi said 25 crore people have been brought out of poverty.

“Over the past 12 years, India’s exports have increased 35-fold. The country’s mobile manufacturing units have experienced a remarkable 100-fold growth, making India the world’s second-largest mobile manufacturer. Fuelled by this rapid progress and development, India now stands as the fastest-growing major economy,” he said.

PM Modi said serving the country as an elected PM for 12 consecutive years has been a great privilege of his life.

Today, PM Modi concluded his multi-city visit to France, where he also attended the G7 Summit in Evian. (ANI)